The Clarion

Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Entertainment

Sorry to all of you who perked up and thought that The Clarion had special, pre-released viewing rights to the "New Moon" movie. We don't. We can try but I believe that getting press passes to see President Obama was infinitely easier. But don't despair, the "New Moon" novel is also worthy of your time.

"New Moon" is the second book of, currently, the four-part Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. The book picks up where "Twilight" left off. The main characters, Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, are blissfully in love and Edward is Bella's entire world. The only thing that would make Bella happier: if she didn't have to celebrate her 18 birthday, which makes her, officially, older than Edward.

An incident at her birthday party from the Cullen's once again reminds Edward that Bella is only human and that no matter how careful or protective he is, she could still be easily killed by him or his family. With this in mind, he, along with the rest of the Cullen family, decides to leave the town of Forks and Bella, but before he leaves, Edward makes Bella promise not to "…do anything reckless or stupid."

The next two-thirds of the book is Bella learning how to survive with without Edward, mostly by breaking her promise to him by doing reckless and dangerous things with Jacob Black, a childhood friend. One of Bella's forays into extreme sports makes Edward believe that she killed herself and, determined not to outlive her, Edward seeks a way to destroy himself. A faith that Bella along with Alice Cullen is determined to stop.

"New Moon," first published in 2006, is considered a young adult novel and even though the paperback is over 500 pages long it is an easy read. A determined reader could easily finish the book in two days. The plot is easy to follow and readers who may not have read "Twilight" will have no problem following the story line.

The theme of "Romeo and Juliet" runs heavily throughout the book and, at times, it seems that Meyer needlessly refers back to the play, with Bella and Edward comparing themselves to Romeo and Juliet. For most teenage readers this analogy hits home, but for the older reader it seems childish.

Meyer also has the habit to make Bella overreact. While most of us can remember the gut wrenching, numbing heartache when we lost our first "true love" and the devastation that it wreaked on our young lives, the months that it takes Bella to get over the loss just seems ridiculous.

Finally, while Meyer has her characters refer to themselves as destined to be with each other, the emotional connection between Bella and Edward just isn't there. At best, Bella seems like a clinging, needy girlfriend that Edward tolerates with barley a flicker of warmth toward her.

Despite this, "New Moon" sucks the reader in and has adults pulling it out of their hidden guilty pleasures book pile while their significant other is away grocery shopping. This is a definite read, even if you're "too old" to be seen reading it in public.

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